Unsafe Water Kills More People Than War

March 23, 2010

In a message to mark World Water Day, UN chief Ban Ki-Moon said on Monday that more people die from unsafe water than all types of violence, including war.

Ki-Moon said that the deaths from unclean water are an upset to our humanity, and undermine the efforts of many countries to reach developmental potential. “Day after day, we pour millions of tons of untreated sewage and industrial and agricultural wastes into the world’s water systems,” he said.

Clean water has become a scarce commodity and with climate change affecting water supply, it could become even scarcer.

The theme for this year: “Clean Water for a Healthy World.” It highlights the fact that both quality and quantity of water resources are vulnerable.

Ki-Moon said that the world has the knowledge to solve the water crisis and urged nations to better protect our water resources.

“Without water, there will be no prospects for achieving all MDGs (Millennium Development Goals),” UN under secretary general for economic and social affairs Sha Zukang told the gathering.

MDGs refers to the 2000 summit, where world leaders set a 2015 goal to achieve poverty reduction across the world.